Hey Big Fernand, Your Finest Hamburgé Please!

Big Fernand, the restaurant chain everybody is talking about, is now bringing its hamburgers made in France to the Côte d’Azur. Sacré bleu!

The success of Big Fernand seems to know no limits, and having opened 12 restaurants over the last three years (including one in Hong Kong and one in London), the franchise has now arrived in Nice.

“Don’t eat hamburgers, eat hamburgés”, that’s the motto of this highly successful burger joint and of its founders, Steve Burggraf, Alexandre Auriac and Guillaume Pagliano, three young entrepreneurs from Paris who have taken upon themselves to give a French twist to that most American of fast foods. Using artisan buns baked from a secret recipe, locally-sourced meats (beef, chicken, lamb or veal), unpasteurized cheese (Tomme de Savoie, raclette, goat cheese or Fourme d’Ambert), freshly chopped herbs and homemade sauces, they have really come up with a winning formula.

Take, for instance, Le “Big Fernand”, a burger with Tomme de Savoie cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and a homemade cocktail sauce, “Le Victor“, a Veal patty covered in Fourme d’Ambert cheese, or “le Bartholomé“, made with juicy beef, with creamy raclette cheese, caramelized onions, bacon chives and BBQ sauce. If none of these sound appealing, you can always make your own, choosing your toppings from a wide variety of fresh ingredients. And as we are talking fast-food here, don’t forget to try the chips, the ‘Fernandines’, which are made on site, accompanied by some homemade soda or organic lemonade, and the traditional puddings.

The only tricky part may be finding a seat. Also, expect queues at peak hours of lunchtime and in the early evening. But the service is fast and very friendly, and you will be welcomed with a smile. The staff will even take the time to explain the menu to you.

The hamburgés may be a bit on the pricey side – about €11 or €12 for a burger, and €15 with a side of chips – but the food is delicious, the atmosphere fun and the experience highly enjoyable. So if you happen to be near the Galeries Lafayette in Nice, do go check for yourself what all the buzz is about… and Bon Appêtit!